Plastic heel bases for shoes



Dec. 22, 1959 E. A. Q11- l-:TAL

' PLASTIC HEEL BASES FOR SHOES original Filed Maron 19. 1954 fihi Pig.

El i' A TTRNEVS UnitedStates Patent O PLASTIC HEEL AsEs Eon sHoEs Edward A. Ott, Merrill, and Raymond Higgins, Tomahawk, Wis., assignors to Albert H. Weinbrenner Co., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Continuation of application Serial No, 417,246, March 19, 194. This application July 9, 1958,` Serial No. 748,56

'4 Claims. (Cl.v 36-35) This invention relates to improvements in plastic heel bases for shoes and more particularly to a heel construction which includes a novel heel base, and is a continuation of my co-pendingapplication, SerialNo. 417,246, led March 19, 1954.

In the manufacture of shoes it is common practice to build up a heel base from a plurality of plies of leather and to position said heel base below the heel portion of the outsole, the heel proper such as a rubber heel being below said heel base, and there being nails extending through the heel base and into the outsole and insole to secure the heel proper in position. The underside of the outsole, at the heel portion of the shoe is usually downwardly convexed, and this makes it necessary for the heel base to be formed to fit this contour. All of these steps consume considerable time in the manufacture of shoes.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved heel construction which greatly simplifies the manufacture of shoes, reduces the weight at the heel portion, and improves the strength.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved heel construction which includes a one-piece molded heel base, preferably formed of plastic, which is of skeleton form to include interior openings, the rim of said heel base having protrusions which project into said openings and are located to receive nails therethrough during assembly, and the upper side of the heel base being dished to fit the contour of the underside of the outsole.

A more specilic object of the invention is to provide a heel construction as above described therein the heel base includes a molded rim, together with a transverse web connecting opposite portions of said rim to divide the open interior into a plurality of chambers, there being nail receiving protrusions on said rim which project into said chambers.

A further object of the invention is to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a one-piece molded heel base preferably formed of plastic.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a heel construction which is relatively inexpensive, which is neat in appearance, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects n view, the invention consists of the improved heel construction and all of its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all ofthe views:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the improved heel base alone;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a front edge view; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through the heel portion of a shoe to illustrate the improved heel construcheel.

ICC

Vtien, the view being generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved heel base is formed of a suitable moldable material such as plastic having the necessary properties for this particular use. It may be formed of an acrylic plastic such as methyl methacrylate. `It may also be formed of polystyrene or any other suitable plastic material.

The heel base proper includes a rim portion 10, which in plan view has the outline of the heel of a shoe as shown in Fig. l. The rim 10 includes a U-shaped portion forming the sides and rear, and a front portion 11. There is also a web 12 which divides the open interior into chambers 13 and 14. Thus, the heel base is generally of skeleton form.

The rim is formed with a plurality of protrusions which project into the openings 13 and 14, as shown in Fig. 1. One protrusion 15 is located intermediate the length of the front 11 of the rim. Spanning the front corners of the chamber 14 are protrusions 16. At the rear ofthe heel base is a protrusion 17 vwhich is generally pointing toward the protrusion 15, and there are oppositely disposed side protrusions 18 which project obliquely into the chamber 13. Between the ends of the web 12 andthe adjacent side portions of the rim are protrusions 19.

The upper side of the heel base is generally dished, it being concave in a transverse direction as indicated at 20 in Fig. 3, and also being dished in longitudinal section, as shown in Fig. 2, the rim being of full thickness at the rear 21 and at the side edges 22 but being concavely tapered to a point of minimum thickness at 23, midway of the length of the front rim portion 11. The underside of the heel base is at, as shown.

The dished upper surface shown in Figs. 2 and 3 conforms to the contour of the underside of the outsole 24 at the heel portion of the shoe, as is clear from Fig. 4. In this figure the numeral 25 designates the innersole, the numeral 26 the upper, and the numeral 27 a rubber The assembly is completed by driving nails 28 through the openings which are customarily `provided in a rubber heel, and through the protrusions 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the heel base and through the outsole and insole, said nails being clinched on the inside of the shoe in the usual manner. The dotted openings 29 indicate the approximate place where the nails will pass through the heel base.

With the above arrangement it is apparent that the assembly of the heel portion of a shoe is expedited by the use of the present invention, as it is unnecessary to shape leather heel base sections to t the heel portion of the outsole. It is also apparent that the weight of the heel portion of the shoe is generally decreased due to the skeleton structure of the heel base. At the same time, due to the novel features of the present invention, the heel base is very'strong, being strengthened by the web 12, the protrusions 15 to 19 providing ample stock for the reception of the nails. The rim portion of the heel base has ample width so that its margin may be trimmed if necessary. It is obvious that the protrusions may be spaced differently to meet the varying conditions in particular shoe designs.

Various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture a one-piece skeleton heel base of plastic material which is hard and which includes a rim portion having sides and having a front part and a rear part, said heel base havingthe major portion of its interior area within said rim formed with openings which render the article light in weight and which extend through. the entire thickness of the heel base, a relatively narrow straight transverse web intermediate the length of the heel base connecting opposite sides of said rim, said rear part of the rim having a nail receiving protrnsion projecting into said interior, area substantially on the longitudinal center line of the heel base, there being other nail receiving protrusions projecting into the interior area from the sides of the rim and merging with the ends of said transverse web.

2. As ja new article of manufacture a one-piece skeleton heel base of plastic material which is hard and which includes a rirn portion having sides and having a front part and a rear part, said heel base having the major portion of its interior area within said rirn formed with openings whichrrenider the article light in weight `and which extend through the entire thickness of the heel base, `a relatively narrow web connecting opposite portions of said rim, said rear part of the rirn having a nail receiving protrusion projecting into said interior area substanf tially on the longitudinal center line of the heel base, there being other nail receiving protrusions projecting into the interior area from the sides of the rim and merging with the ends of said web.

3. As a new article of manufacture a one-piece skeleton heel base of plastic material which is hard and which 2 includes a rirn portion having sides and having a front part and a rear part, said heel base having the major portion of its interior area within said rim formed with openings which render the article light in weight and which extend through the entire thickness of the heel base, a relatively narrow web connecting opposite portions of said rim, said rear part of the rim having a nail receiving protrusion projecting into said interior area, there being other nail receiving protrusions projecting into the interior area from the sides of the rim and merging with the ends of said web.

4. As anew article ofrnanufacture a one-piece skeleton heel base of'plastic material which is hard and which includes. a rim portion having sides and having a front part and a rear part, said heel base having the major portion of its interior area within said rim formed with openings which render the article light in weight and which extend through the entire thickness of the heel base, a relatively narrow web connecting opposite portions of said rim, said rear part of the rirn having a nail receiving protrusion projectinginto said interior area, and there being other nail receiving protrusions projecting into the interior area vfrom the rimv and merging with the ends of said web.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

